U.S. Is Draining Its Wetlands, Report Shows

Thousands of acres of wetlands have been legally drained as
a result of a recently adopted policy, and many more acres are at risk of similar
destruction claimed a report issued by four environmental groups.

In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled that isolated wetlands that
do not cross state boundaries and are not navigable do not enjoy the same
federal protections as other wetlands just because they serve migratory birds.
Then last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental
Protection Agency said under the ruling, they could not protect such wetlands
unless they were connected to interstate commerce, the Washington Post summarized.

The study, which was based on Freedom of Information Act
requests, shows how the directive put millions of acres of rivers, streams,
lakes and wetlands at risk. Environmentalists are furious over how, in more
than a dozen cases, the Corps of Engineers subsequently approved development in
ecologically sensitive areas.

Administration officials said that President Bush has
strived to create, improve and protect wetlands and that they are just adhering
to the court’s ruling, the Washington Post reported.